There is a growing body of evidence that wellness care provided by doctors of chiropractic may reduce health care costs, improve health behaviors, and enhance patient perceived quality of life. Until recently, however, little was known about how chiropractic adjustments affected the chemistry of biological processes on a cellular level.
In a landmark study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (JVSR), chiropractors collaborating with researchers at the University of Lund found that chiropractic care could influence basic physiological processes affecting oxidative stress and DNA repair. These findings offer a scientific explanation for the positive health benefits reported by patients receiving chiropractic care.
Dr. Christopher Kent, one of the authors explained, “Going through life, we experience physical, chemical, and emotional stress. These stresses greatly affect the function of the nervous system. We hypothesized that these disturbances in nerve function could affect oxidative stress and DNA repair on a cellular level.”
“Oxidative stress, metabolically generating free radicals, is now a broadly accepted theory of how we age and develop disease,” Kent continued. “Oxidative stress results in DNA damage, and inhibits DNA repair. DNA repair is the mechanism which fixes the damage caused by environmental impact.”
Chiropractors apply spinal adjustments to correct disturbances of nerve function, which adversely affect cellular DNA repair. “Chiropractic care appears to improve the ability of the body to adapt to stress,” continued Kent.
The researchers measured serum thiol levels in
- 21 patients under short-term chiropractic care,
- 25 patients under long-term chiropractic care.
- 30 non-chiropractic subjects.
Chiropractic was found to significantly increase serum-thiol levels compared with the non-chiropractic subjects.
Serum thiols are primary antioxidants, and serve as a measure of human health status. The test provides a surrogate estimate of DNA repair enzyme activity, which has been shown to correlate with lifespan and aging.
This study demonstrated a strong correlation between structure, nervous system function and oxidative stress. Improving structure through chiropractic yields positive benefits far beyond back pain – its benefits extend to lifespan and aging.
Please contact Dr. Jeffrey Linder at Bryant Park Wellness in New York City with any questions.
